MANKATO, Minn. -- The Minnesota Vikings reportedly have made a new financial pitch to Brett Favre, hoping to keep the presumptive future Hall of Famer from announcing his retirement.
Favre has informed the Vikings he will not return to Minnesota for a second season, according to multiple reports. Favre sent text messages to teammates saying, "This is it," league sources told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.
However, the Vikings reportedly are ready to increase Favre's salary for this season in order to get him to hold off on retirement for another year.
Sources told the Star Tribune that the Vikings have offered to increase Favre's salary to $16 million guaranteed -- $3 million more than he was scheduled to make this season, plus another $4 million in incentives that could potentially pay Favre $20 million total for the 2010 season.
NFL Network analyst Steve Mariucci, who was Favre's quarterback coach with the Packers from 1992 to 1995 and is a close friend of Favre's, said Tuesday that the quarterback hasn't made up his mind on whether to retire.
"He hasn't told anybody officially, 'I'm done,' " Mariucci said on "NFL Total Access" on the NFL Network.
"Right now, he hasn't retired," Mariucci said. "He's still trying to get healthy. He doesn't know if he's going to be able to be healthy in time. That's the question mark right now."
Mariucci isn't the only person associated with Favre who has said the quarterback hasn't made a decision yet. A family source told the Biloxi Sun Herald on Tuesday that Favre "has not made a commitment to play or a decision to return at this point."
Vikings tight end Visanthe Shiancoe said Favre texted his teammates and told them he plans to retire. Shiancoe added he did not receive any direct messages from Favre, but learned of the texts from several teammates.
"He told a couple guys on our team he's going to retire," Shiancoe said after practice on Tuesday. "He hasn't told me yet. I'm going to check my phone right now, but it hasn't been said publicly yet so I don't know what to believe."
Neither Favre nor the Vikings has confirmed the news.
After the Vikings completed a morning practice Tuesday, coach Brad Childress would not confirm Favre's status with the team and called it a "fluid situation." He told reporters that he had not heard from Favre directly about the decision, but said he could have a message waiting for him from the quarterback.
With Favre, of course, nothing is ever necessarily final after 19 NFL seasons. He told the Vikings last year he wouldn't play, but changed his mind and joined them immediately after they broke training camp, with Childress even driving to the airport to pick him up. Camp this year ends on Aug. 12.
Favre and his agent, Bus Cook, did not return messages from The Associated Press.
Favre has waffled on retiring every summer since 2002. It led to an ugly parting with the Packers that got him traded from Green Bay to the Jets in 2008. After a so-so season in New York, he announced his retirement in early 2009 for the second time, then reconsidered and signed with the Vikings.
He had one of his best seasons last year, with career bests in completion percentage (68.4), quarterback rating (107.2) and fewest interceptions (7), while throwing for 33 TDs and 4,202 yards to lead the Vikings to an NFC North title.
He hurt his left ankle in the NFC Championship Game loss to the New Orleans Saints and had arthroscopic surgery in May.
Source: ESPN
Follow Me @ChasinMoPaper
}
Comments